Center bearing



s Fb. 9, 1937.v o. K. KJoLsETH H 2,070,437

CENTER BEARING Filed Aug. 27, 1955 le K. KJ' olseh Patented Feb.t 9, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,070,437 CENTER BEARING Ole K. Kjolseth, Erie, Pa.,

assigner to General 4 Claims.

My invention relates to center bearings for railv'vay locomotives or cars. y

In order to obtain easy riding qualities in locomotives or cars, various cushioning and supporting arrangements have been developed for supporting the vertical load and to permit turning and a small amount of lateral swaying movement of the car body with respect to the supporting truck or axle when traversing imperfect joints, or other irregularities in the track. Such a bearing alone does not suliiciently insure the lateral stability of the locomotive or car and various arrangements have been proposed, generally in the form of side bearings and lateral stops to provide more stable structures.

An object of my invention is to provide an improved center bearing to carry the vertical load as well as to take up the longitudinal and lateral thrust.

Another object of my invention is to provide a simplified bolster center plate construction which will permit a certain amount of relative pivotal movement of the car frame and supporting truck or axle and also to provide for the lateral stability of the superstructure.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention I provide a central spherical bearing which carries the major portion of the vertical load and provide at least one other concentric bearing surface having a spherical face which is arranged around the central bearing to take up the longitudinal and lateral thrust and a small portion of the vertical load. By such an arrangement, the necessity for lateral clearance around the center plate is obviated and the usual resultant knocking is reduced to a minimum thereby insuring against disturbing noises and jarring arising from this source.

My invention will be more fully set forth in the following description referring to the accompanying drawing, and the features of novelty which characterize my invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

For a better understanding of my invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. l is a sectional elevation through the longitudinal center line of a bolster incorporating my improved center plate and bearing construction, and Fig. 2 is a plan view of the center bearings, with a portion of the upper center plate broken away to more clearly illustrate the lower bearing surfaces.

Referring to the drawing, I have shown a locomotive or car construction embodying my (Cl. 30S- 137) invention including a bolster III forming a part of a car frame which is supported by a center plate II upon a truck bolster I2. To provide for relative angular movement of the car body and the supporting truck, the upper center plate I I is formed with lconcentric convex rings I3 and I4 providing bearing faces which pivot upon lower complementary concave bearings I5 and I6 in the truck center plate I'I. The central bearing` faces I3 and I5 of small radius are approximately hemispherical and are arranged, so as to` carry the major portion of the vertical load while the surrounding concentric rings I4 and I 6 are of larger radii than the bearing faces I3 and I5 and adapted and arranged primarily to take up the longitudinal and lateral thrust and also to carry the small remaining portion of the Vertical load. Such a construction advantageously requires no lateral 'clearance around the center plate and it therefore can be attached to the bolster, as by welding, as indicated at I 8,Y thereby reducing to a minimum knocking which arises from this source.

I provide a simplified arrangement for lubricating the bearing surfaces, which includes a supply line I9 for conducting lubricant to a reservoir 2|! formed within the central bearing I3. A second lubricant reservoir 2| is formed between the two concave faces I5 and I6 of the lower bearing I'I. Lubricating ducts or grooves 22 and 23 are formed in a bearing face of one of each; of the opposed bearing rings and communicate with their respective reservoirs. These ducts insure proper lubrication of the bearing faces at all times and those in the central bearing I3 also supply lubricant from the central reservoir to the reservoir 2| located intermediately of the bearing rings I5 and I6.

In order to assist in keeping the car body in an upright position, car bolster bearings 24 and 25 are arranged to cooperate with truck side bearings 26 and 21. In the present arrangement these bearings will ordinarily run in contact under a light pressure, the upper bearings 24 and 25 being secured by clamps 28 and 29 to the car bolster I Il and are supported on rubber pads 30 and 3I having sufficient resiliency to allow for the usual movement of the truck relative to the car frame.

While I have illustrated and described a particular embodiment of my invention, modifications thereof will occur to those skilled in the art. I desire it to be understood, therefore, that my invention is not to be limited to the particular arrangement disclosed, and I intend in the appended claims to cover all modifications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as Ynew and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. A center bearing for railway locomotives or cars including a bearing plate having a plurality of concentric spherical bearing surfaces of different radii, and a second bearing plate having spherical bearing surfaces complementary to the bearing surfaces of said rst mentioned bearing plate arranged to support the same, the central bearing surface of smaller radius being arranged to support the major portionV of the vertical load and the bearing surface of larger radius being arranged about said central bearing surface and arranged to take up the longitudinal and lateral thrust and the remaining portion of the vertical load.

2. A center bearing for railway locomotives or -cars including a bearing plate having a plurality oi concentric spherical bearing surfaces of different radii, and a second bearing plate having complementary spherical bearing surfaces complementary to the bearing surfaces of said first mentioned bearing plate arranged to support the same, said bearing surfaces of different radii on each of said bearing plates being spaced apart to provide a lubricant reservoir betwen said plates and communicating with said bearing surfaces.

3. A center bearing for railway bolsters including an upper bearing plate having a plurality of concentric rings of different radii with convex bearing surfaces, a lower bearing plate having concave bearing surfaces complementary to said upper bearing surfaces, the lower central face being arranged to suport the major portion of a vertical load and the lower bearing surface surrounding said central face being arranged to take up the longitudinal and lateral thrust and the remaining portion of the vertical load, means for supplying lubricant to said bearing surfaces including lubricant reservoirs communieating with each of said surfaces, and lubricant ducts formed in a face of one of each of said complementary rings for supplying lubricant thereto.

4. A center bearing for railway locomotives or cars including an upper bearing plate having a plurality of concentric convex spherical bearing surfaces of diiierent radii, and a lower bearing plate having complementary concave spherical bearing surfaces, the central bearing surface of said lower bearing plate being arranged to support the major portion of the vertical load and the lower bearing surface surrounding said central bearing surface being arranged to take up the longitudinal and lateral thrust and the remaining portion of the vertical load.

OLE K. KJOLSETH. 

